Afghanistan: Taliban Shot Dead Relative Of DW Journalist While Hunting For Him

Taliban terrorists hunting for a DW journalist have killed one member of his family and injured another.

According to a German state-owned international broadcaster DW report, the Taliban were conducting a house-to-house search to try and find the journalist, who now works in Germany.

The other relatives of the journalist reportedly escaped at the last moment and are now on the run.

Meanwhile, DW Director General Peter Limbourg issued a strong condemnation and called on the German government to take action.

"The killing of a close relative of one of our editors by the Taliban yesterday is inconceivably tragic, and testifies to the acute danger in which all our employees and their families in Afghanistan find themselves," Limbourg was quoted as saying.

"It is evident that the Taliban are already carrying out organised searches for journalists, both in Kabul and in the provinces. We are running out of time!" he said.

According to the report, Taliban has been hunting for journalists in the country after taking over Afghanistan.

They have raided the homes of at least three DW journalists.

"Nematullah Hemat of the private television station Ghargasht TV is believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban, and Toofan Omar, the head of the private radio station Paktia Ghag Radio, was, according to government officials, targeted and shot dead by Taliban fighters," the DW report said.

On 2 August, translator Amdadullah Hamdard, a frequent contributor to Germany's Die Zeit newspaper, was killed by Taliban in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad.

Earlier in July, an Indian photojournalist working with Reuters Danish Siddiqui was brutally killed by Taliban after confirming his identity.